Road grader and leveler



(N0 Model.)

J. SKIN'NER.

ROAD GRADER AND LEVELER.

No. 324,178. Patented Aug. 11, 1885.

N. PETERS. Photo-Lilhagmpher. wumn um m.

JOHN SKINNER, OF

ROAD GRADER PATENT ()FFICE.

NEYVMAN, ILLINOIS.

AND LEVELER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,178, dated August11, 1885.

Application filed February 3. 1885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN SKINNER, of N ewman, in the county of Douglasand State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement inRoad Graders and Levelers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of machineswhich loosens the soil orearth and scrapes the same into the form of a grade; also filling theruts and depressions in the grades of common wagon-roads and levelingthe same.

The object of my invention is to produce a grader and leveler that willcut and carry the soil or earth to any distance desired instead ofleaving it at or, near the point from which the same has been loosened,as do other graders, and to make a simple, durable, cheap, andeasily-operated machine to facilitate the construction and leveling ofwagon-roads.

In the accompanying drawing, in which similar letters of referenceindicate like parts, the figure is a perspective view of the entiremachine.

A A are parallel beams, through which pass a number of harrow-teeth.

B is a scraper-board, also parallel with and in' the rear of theharrow-beams A A.

G is a steel plate forming the scraper, and firmly bolted to the boardB.

D D D are cross-beams bolted to the parallel harrow-beams A A and thescraper board B.

F F F are upright shanks or standards to brace and strengthen the boardB.

E E are levers, on the forward end of each of which levers is an ironstrap forming a shoe. The levers E E are attached to the rear end of thetwo outer or external crossbeams, D D, by pivots G G. V

I isalso a shoe, attached to the forward end of the center cross-beam,D, by a bolt orpivot at K.

M M are hooks to engage the chains, attaehed to the levers E E by meansof looprings on said chains. The larger chains, at tached to the ends ofthe forward harrowbeam, are simply draft-chains, to which the horses orother motive power are attached.

The machine is operated in the following manner: Attach the motive power(prefeia bly two, three, or four horses to each end of the machine,according to the size of the machine) to the draf-chains fastened toeach end of the front harrow-beam. Throw the point of the shoe I upwardand backward upon the center cross-beam, D. Hook up the chains attachedto the levers EE on the hooks M M, and the machine is ready to operate.The harrow-teeth loosen the soil or earth and hold the scraper-board Bin position, and steady and regulate its depth for the most effectivework.

- The machine may be moved at any angle desired. For grading the machineshould be drawnat a more acute angle with the road than. when simplyused for levelingthat is, one end of the machine should be drawn alittle in advance of the other end. For scraping the soil or earth froma higher to a lower place in a road both ends of the machine should bemoved forward squarely and .evenlythat is, with neither end in advanceso that the scraper may gather a full load. On arriving'at the low placein the road the load of soil or earth may be dumped or unloaded by thedrivers or attendants lifting on the levers E E.

It is sometimes desirable to move the machine from one point to anotherwithout operating it, and it is also sometimes necessary to elevate themachine sufficiently to permit it to pass freely over culverts,crossings, and other obstacles. To do this I raise the ma first, bythrowing the shoe I forward so that its point may touch the ground, andsecond, by disengaging the chains attached to the levers E E so as topermit the shoe on the forward end of each to touch the earth. This maybe done while the machine is in motion, when the'machine will besupported by and slide forward on the three shoes in contact with theground.

. I claim as my invention- 1. In a scraper, the combination, with themain frame, of a shoe, I, pivoted at one end thereto, and having itsother end adjustable up and over onto said frame or down in position toengage the ground, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the main frame, the harrow and the scrapersupported thereby, a

chine off of the harrow-teeth and scraper,'

shoe, I, pivoted at; one end to the framing 11], and a chain connectedwith said lever and and adj nstable up thereon or down in positionadjnsiahle into engagement with the hook M, IO to engage the ground, andthe levers pivoted all arranged and operating substanbiallyas set tosaid frame and capable of adjustment into forth. 5 position to engagethe ground, substantially JOHN SKINNER.

as set forth. Witnesses:

3. The combination, in a scraper, of the G. V. \VALLS, main frameprovided with a hook, M, alever, A. B. SMITH,

